The Golden Sport

STOP PRESS.......STOP PRESS.....STOP PRESS......

Oxfordshire U19 Football league

The Cooper school :2    Wheatley Park 0

On Wednesday 20th February, our first ever post 16 football team, led admirably by the captain James Allen, took an amazing victory against Wheatley Park in the league. Wheatley Park have been previous championship winners and this was a hard won victory by our boys. Extensive cardio-vascular treatment supported the development of Tom Bosley and ensured his driving role in the game. Jake Fuller is also developing his passing skills, much to the relief of the rest of the team.

Looking resplendent in their new royal blue kit, the students from both Year 12 and Year 13 battled the giant of Wheatley Park and are still currently heady with victory.

The Post16 centre is buzzing much anticipation is in the Post 16 centre as the fans amass in preparation for the next game. Cheer leaders rehearsing, managing strategic planning and even Mrs Mall will be there to support, cheer and hopefully celebrate!

Brackley vs The Cooper School

Thursday 28th February

3.30 pm kick off

At Home

AWAY THE LADS!!!!!!

Post 16 Trips

Auschwitz

Last week, the Year 12 History students spent 4 days in Krakow, Poland visiting the memorial site for the Holocaust at Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. As Nazi Germany is one of the main units for the AS examination, this visit was able to provide the students with detailed insight and experience of the terrible consequences of the Nazi regime. Our thanks go to the History department for enabling this opportunity for Year 12 students: Mrs Roberts-Ablett, Mrs Winwood & Mr Dean. The staff have commented that the year 12 students were a credit to the school throughout

Madrid

This week A level Art students are going on a trip to Madrid to study the Art & Architecture of this beautiful and fascinating city. I look forward enormously to seeing the work produced by the students. The work from the Venice trip last year was stunning and I am sure this trip will be an inspiration for the Art students. Once again, we thank the Art department for their time and support of the students.

SNOW WORK

To all post 16 students.... in case of inclement weather...and in case the school is closed.

Please use the departmental blogs to find work set by staff as needed. Use the time wisely to complete independent research and to ensure you maximise your learning IF the school is closed.

Many staff will regularly check emails so please  maintain contact with your teachers to keep up to date with work.

2013 Begins

Welcome back to all the Post 16 students and happy new year to you all

University Offers

Congratulations to all our university applicants who continue to receive offers. Particularly of note today is a special congratulations to our first ever Oxbridge applicants : one offer received for Computer Science at Cambridge University and one offer received for Physics as Oxford University. The first of many such successes.

January Examinations

Many Year 12 & 13 students are now starting their examination modules in a variety of subjects and I would like to wish them all the best of luck over the next few weeks. I am aware of revision sessions being held at lunchtimes and after school and students can be found all over the building working and revising.

Post 16 Applications

Many applications for the sixth form have now arrived at the school and the process of interviews and offers of places has now begun. It is very good to meet the prospective students who have applied from a number of schools across the county and have impressed  me with their commitment to their studies and their ambitions for the future.

Only one week in and yet so much has already happened!

Year 13 plans and ambitions

Year 13 Parents' evening

Last night we held the Parents' Evening for Year 13.  There was a good turnout of parents / students despite the inclement weather and rising cases of winter related illnesses. A calm atmosphere pervaded the building and I was aware of many examples of commendation from staff as well as very constructive, supportive and productive recommendations and suggestions.

Forthcoming Examinations

Many Post 16 students have examinations in January and there is a strong sense of purposeful preparation for these. Year 13 students commented to me on the realisation of how important the examinations are and the motivation / drive that university offers have given them. Students are really keen to achieve / exceed their predicted grades in order to secure their university places.

University offers

These continue to arrive and  are clearly very exciting and rewarding for the students. They are also a great incentive for personal ambition for the students.

I have noticed that many students have formed study groups in the available classroom upstairs on the post16 premises and it is a real joy to see the students working and studying together - offering each other academic guidance and support.

I feel very proud of the Year 13 today - they are becoming the young adults who will represent the future and their determination and commitment is very inspiring to see.

APPLYING TO UNIVERSITY

UNIVERSITY OFFERS

I am delighted to be able to say that the majority of Year 13 students are applying to university and offers of places have been coming in thick and fast over the past 8 weeks. The majority of applicants have received offers from all their university choices. The students are in a very strong position of having to make decisions about which to accept as their first choice!

The school is very proud of the students and their achievements.

COURSES TO BE STUDIED

Our  students have been offered a  wide variety of degree courses. These include:

Medicine, Computer Science, Bio-Medicine, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Physiotherapy, Psychology, English, Politics and History.

It is a real sense of achievement that this school has supported the next generation in their academic and future ambitions.

SCHOLARSHIP

I was informed this morning that one of our students has received an offer of a £6000 scholarship from one university! This is a superb achievement.

OXBRIDGE INTERVIEWS

It is also a delight to be able to announce that all of the applicants to Oxbridge have been selected for interview. These interviews will take place over the next 2 weeks and our best wishes go these students.

It has been an absolute pleasure to see the Year 13 students completing their university applications and the hard work and dedication they have shown with crafting their personal statements. I have enjoyed reading all of these and working alongside the students and the tutors to complete the applications.

My thanks go to the staff for all their support and input into the references and especially to the Year 13 tutors for all their hard work with writing these.

... and a really special THANK YOU to Hayley Greer, KS5 Assistant, who is at the centre of all the applications and she is the person who has made everything work so efficiently.

Brilliant.

Safe Drive Stay Alive

Today, a significant  number of our Year 12 students attended the 'Safe Drive Stay Alive' campaign in Oxford.

This is produced by a road safety partnership including Thames Valley Police, local councils, and Thames Valley’s emergency services.  This campaign aims to reach new and pre-drivers in an emotive and hard-hitting way, influencing behaviour and attitude on the roads.

The statistics on accidents involving young drivers are very disturbing:

• Last year,  over 841 people aged 16-19 were injured on Thames Valley roads
• Last year, an average of 3 young people per week were killed or seriously injured.

• Young drivers are much more likely to be involved in a crash on the roads, often due to inexperience and a lack of knowledge of the risks.

• Around 1 in 4 deaths on the roads is aged 17-24. This summer Thames Valley Police also caught 69 drivers under the age of 25 for drink driving!

Post 16 Studies at The Cooper School is committed to raising awareness of safety for our valued students.